Current-collecting device for electric railways



(No Model.)

B. M. HUNTER. CURRENT COLLECTING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

Patented Janf13, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Cr mea.

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO 'THE THOMSON-HOUSTON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CONNECTICUT.

CURRENT-COLLECTING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC R AILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,566, dated January 13, 1891.

Application filed August 12, 1890. Serial No. 361,771. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: the switches without the least danger ofjump- Be it known that I, RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, ing the conductor. YVhere large numbers of of the city and county of Philadelphia, and switches or cross-overs are employed in sus- State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Iinpended-eonductor railways, it has heretofore 5 provement in Current-Collecting Devices for been found necessary to have the trolley-arm Electric Railways, of which the following is extend rearwardly with great obliquity, and a specification. this excessive obliquity increased the lev- My invention has reference to current-colerage to bending of the arm and made it lectiug devices for electric railways; and it difficult to maintain the arm in good condi- IO consists of certainimprovements, all of which tion. By my improvement I am enabled to are fully set forth in the following specificaovercome this defect.

tion and shown in the accompanying draw- Myimprovements will be more fully underings, which form a part thereof. stood by reference to the accompanying draw- My invention, setout in this specification, ings, in which 15 (Case No.160,) comprehends a construction of Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of my collecting device which is especially adapted improved current-collecting device, taken on to extend above the top of the car and make line w 00 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an end elevation a running contact with the under side of a of same, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of-the suspended conduct-or arranged above the upper part of Fig. 1. 7

2o railway and ear, and having an under unob- A is the car or vehicle roof or other part structed surface. thereof for supporting the collector.

In carrying out my invention I support the B isaframe secured to the carA in any suitupwardly and rearwardly extending trolleyable manner, and has the two uprights C C, in arm in a frame j ournaled on a transverse axis which is journaied on a transverse axis D the 7 5' 2 5 arranged adjacent to the car, and also make frame E, having an arm F and suitable jourit movable about an axis arranged in the plane nal-bearings for the trolley-arm. of the travel of the car, and preferably ver- L is the trolley-arm, and may be of wood tical. This last-mentioned vertical or subor metal. It is detachably secured at the stantially vertical axis of the trolley-arm will bottom in a socket j, formed on the casto vary in its position with the rise and fall of ing J, which casting is connected with the the arm in following the alignment of the frame E ona vertical or substantially verticonductor. I provide a spring acting on the cal axis K and about which the arm L swings. frame j ournaled on the transverse axis to The arm L is made to extend rearward to hold the trolley-arm upward with an elastic some extent, so that the upper or free end 3 5 pressure. The upper end of the trolley-arm may have lateral motion about K as a center may be provided with a contact-shoe or and vertical motion about D as a center. A grooved roller, in the groove of which the conspring G is connected at one end to the arm ductor is received, and upon which the trol- F and at the other to a block I-I, guided on a ley-wheel. or contact-shoe is guided. If de- V-shaped guide h and adjusted by a screw 0 4o sired, the contact shoe or wheel may be jour I. By turning the screw Ithe tension of the naled on the free end of a horizontal or rearspring may be varied to modify the upward wardly-extending arm, jointed at its forward tendency of the free end of the arm L. Any end to the upper end of the trolley-arm on a other suitable spring and means of adjustvertical or substantially vertical axis. By ment may be employed, if desired.

45 this means I am enabled to use a heavy up- The upper end of the arm L may carry the weirdly-extending arm which will be capable contact shoe or roller, as indicated in dotted of b ing held in such an upright position that lines, Fig. 1; but I prefer to support the said no bending will result, and the contact or contact shoe or roller Rin a frame P, carried wheel be so supported that it may move laton the rear end of an arm N, hinged at its rec 5o erally for the slightest or greatest lateral vaforward end to the upper or free end of arm riations in the conductor and readily follow L on a vertical or substantially vertical axis 0, formed in a casting .ill on the end of arm I). The arm )1 may be of any length and is prob crably horizontal, but may be arranged obliquely, if desired, and in practice would have more or less obliquity from the combined movements given to the arm L.

S is the suspended conductor, which may be supported above the car, as usual, so as to be out of reach of persons on the track. It is suspended from above so as to leave an exposed under surface for contact. The shoe or roller It is deeply grooved, so as to maintain its position with respect to the conductor.

The rails S maybe employed as the returnconductor.

Q is the motor-circuit on the car, and includes the regulator U, motor T, and wheel \V of the car.

I do not limit myself to the particular details of construction shown, as they may be modified without in the least departing from the principles of my invention, and while I have described my invention as especially adapted to overhead conductors it may be employed for other locations of the conductor, even to that which would require the complete inverting of the apparatus.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A currentcollecting device for an electric railway, consisting of an obliquely-arranged arm connected to the car with provision for lateral and vertical motion at its free end, in combination with a rearwardly-extending part jointed to the free cnd of the arm with freedom of lateral motion and carrying at its rear end acontact adapted to press against a conductor extending along the railway.

2. A current-collecting device for an electric railway, consisting of an obliquely-arranged arm connected to the car with provision for lateral and vertical motion at its free end, in combination with a spring to move said arm vertically, and a rearwardly-extending part jointed to the free end of the arm with freedom of lateral motion and carrying at its rear end a contact adapted to press against a conductor extending along the railway.

3. The combination of a suspended conductor extending along a railway, a traveling car, an upwardly and rcarwardly extending collectingarm movable on a transverse axis and supported by the car, and a rearwardlyextending part carrying a contact making a connection with the undersurface of the conductor and jointed to the upper or free end of the arm with freedom of lateral movement.

4. The combination of a suspended conductor extending along a railway, a traveling car, an upwardly and rearwardly extending collector-arm movable on a transverse axis and supported by the car, a spring to cause the arm to move on its free end toward the conductor, and a rearwardly-cxtending part carrying a contact making a connection with the under surface of the com] uctorand jointed to the upper or free end of the arm with freedom of lateral movement.

5. The combination of a suspended conductor extending along a railway, a traveling car, an upwardly and rearwardly extending collector-arm movable on both a vertical and a transverse axis and supported by the car, and a rearwardly-extending part carrying a contact making a connection with the under surface of the conductor and jointed to the upper or free end of the arm with freedom of lateral movement.

6. The combination of a suspended conductor extending along arailway, a traveling car, an upwardly and rearwardly extending collector-arm movable on both a vertical and a transverse axis and supported by the car, a spring to cause the arm to move on its transverse axis to raise its free end toward the con d uctor, and a rearwardly-extending part carrying a contact making a connection with the under surface of the conductor and jointed to the upper or free end of the arm with freedom of lateral movement.

7. The combination of a suspended conductor extending along the railway, a traveling car, a frame hinged to the car on a transverse axis, and a rearwardly-extending arm having a contact for connection with the conductor and supported bysaid frame on an axis in the plane of the travel of the vehicle.

8. The combination of a suspended conductor extending along the railway, a traveling car, a frame hinged to the car on a transverse axis, a rearwardly-extending arm having a contact for connection with the conductor and supported by said frame on an axis in the plane of the travel of the vehicle, and a spring to hold the free end of the arm toward the conductor with an elastic pressure.

9. The combination of a suspended conductor extending along the railway, a traveling car, a frame hinged to the car on a transverse axis, a rearwardly-extending arm having a contact for connection with the conductor and supported by said frame on an axis in the plane of the travel of the vehicle, a spring acting on the frame to rotate it, and means to adjust the tension of the spring.

10. In a trolley for an electric car, the combination of a frame hinged to the car on a transverse axis, an obliquely and rearwardly extending trolley-arm carried by said frame and "movable about a vertical or substantially vertical axis, and a spring to move said arm about the transverse axis.

11. In a trolley for an electric car, the combination of a frame hinged to the car with provision for movement on both vertical and transverse axes and having a socket, and a trolley-arm carrying at its free end a contact device and detachably connected in the socket.

12. In a trolley for an electric car, the combination of a frame hinged to the car with provision for movement on both vertical and IIO transverse axes and having a socket, and a trolley-arm carrying at its free end a contact device and detachably connected in the socket, and a spring to cause said frame to move about the transverse axis.

13. In a trolley for an electric car, the combination of a frame connected to the car with provision for universal movement and having a socket, and a trolley-arm having a contact at its free end and at its lower end fitting into the socket of the frame.

14. In a trolley for an electric car, the combination of a frame connected to the car with provision for universal movement and having a socket, a trolley-arm having a contact R. M. HUNTER.

lVitnesses:

A. J. DUNN, ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER. 

